Lincoln Loud and the Blades of Chaos
by Dannyboyeee
Summary: Lincoln finds the Blades when he goes exploring in the woods, treasure hunting with his friends.
1. 1

Lincoln stuffed a map, a shovel, and gloves into his bag. He was going treasure hunting with his friend, Clyde. They found a map saying it led to (and I quote, *ahem*) 'objects of awesome power'. Lincoln was entrusted with the map, because he was an expert at hiding things.

He stepped out the door, saying goodbyes to his family and that he should be home a little before dinner. He trekked to the forest, following the map's instructions and finding Ckyde at the forest, too. Clyde waved. He waved back.

"Hey, Clyde." He said.

"Hey, Lincoln." Clyde said.

"So, let's get started." Lincoln said, pulling the map from his bag. "Where should we start?"

"We should start over there." Clyde said, pointing 10 feet to the left.

"The map does say to start there." He said. "Let's do this." He said, readjusting the straps on his bag.

They followed the map through twists and turns, obstacles and riddles. They eventually came upon a symbol. A Greek omega.

"This is it! The symbol on the map is here!" Linoln exclaimed, taking out the gloves in his bag. He unclipped the shovel, and started digging, Clyde following his lead. They eventually dug up a bundle of cloth. Another omega.

"Think this is the treasure?" Clyde asked.

"Yep. Let's unwrap it." Lincoln said. He loosened the rope, pulled it off, and lifted the folds off the item.

"Woah..." They said in unison.

Two broad swords, stacked in beside one another, were in the cloth, with long chains wrapped around them. They had sharp edges, with ornate markings on the hilt. The blades had small barbs on the edge, for maximum damage.

"What are these?" Lincoln asked.

"They look like swords. But ancient." Clyde said.

"We should take them home, for safekeeping. After all, we did find something cool. I hate to go home empty-handed." Lincoln said, wrapping the blades back in the cloth and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Let's go." Lincoln said.

They made their way back by following the map backwards. It got dark when they got back. Lincoln panicked.

"Oh no! I missed curfew! Gottagobye!" He sprinted back to his house. He quickly texted Lori.

Lincoln: Cover me!!!

Lori: On it. When will you be back?

Lincoln: A couple minutes if I run.

Lori: k

Lincoln picked up the pace. His house came into view. He saw Lisa at his window, holding a sign that said '62 degrees'. The angle from which to approach. Lincoln was about to jump on the trampoline, but quickly did something different.

He jumped on the fence, and leaped towards his window. He flew through his window and hit his door. He felt the bundle through his back. It was hot. Very hot.

He rubbed the back of his head as he got up. The bundle cooled immediately. He didn't know it, but it was glowing red-orange when he jumped. The color of fire.

"How'd ya do that?" Lynn asked. She helped Lincoln up.

"I don't know." Lincoln put his hands on his knees as he regained his energy. That jump had tired him out. Almost depleted him. "I just did it."

"Impossible." Lisa said. "You don't exercise, nor are you athletic. How?"

"I might have an idea." Lincoln thought of the bundle.

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" Rita Loud, their mother, called out. They all started to come down when Lincoln remembered the bundle. He took it off, and set it under his bed. He went downstairs and ate with his family.


	2. 2

After dinner, Lincoln sat down on his bed, taking out the bundle and taking out the blades. He held them gingerly, as if they would disintegrate at any moment, given how old they looked. He stared at them. The sword part looked like stone, but also metal. Strange. He tightened his grip on the blades.

The blades set ablaze. Lincoln yelped, dropping the blades. The blades went out. He picked them up again. They set ablaze again. None of it reached his hands, or burned anything in the room. He focused on the blades, and they faded to a dull glow, barely lighting up the room as it had done earlier.

He looked at his door. It was cracked, and he said he was going to bed already, so a little practice wouldn't hurt.

He opened his window, and crawled out, carefully climbing down the side of the house. His feet planted upon the ground, and he set off, looking for a safe place to practice. He eventually found a safe spot on Lookout Point.

The point overlooked the whole city. It was beautiful at this time of night.

"Wow..." He said, smiling. He held the blades, making them blaze again. This time, the blade's fire reached his hands, but didn't burn him. They pulsed, and transformed.

They looked shiny and new, almost as if they've been forged a few minutes ago. Lincoln stared, awestruck at the blades.

He swung a blade. It glowed as he swung, sending a trail of fire behing the blade. He swung the other blade. Then both. They glowed every time he swung. He saw the chains. Why were they there?

He did some experimenting. He grabbed the chain and swung a blade in circles. It glowed after a few seconds. Then set ablaze shortly after. He let go.

The blade sent flying into a boulder, sending shrapnel everywhere. Lincoln ducked, shrapnel flying over his head. He swung the other blade, holding the chain. It too set ablaze while he swung. He threw it. It slammed into the boulder once again.

He pulled the blade back. It flew to his hand. He caught it, amazed the blades could do that. He flung the other blade to his hand. He caught it, and decided to do something cool.

He took out his phone, opened the Camera, hit record, and began to speak.

"This is Lincoln Loud here, and I have something amazing to show you!" He showed the blades to the camera. "These swords are awesome! Let me show you why!" He decided to do something from Lola's ribbon dancing. He swung the blades in circles, similar to Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3. Then, he swung one over his head while he swung the other at his side, intricate motions to make sure they didn't tangle up.

He then swung both blades so that it made an enormous fire circle. He swung and swung, turning to keep up with the blades. Then, he threw a blade at the boulder again, making sure to get it in frame. He moved the camera so that it could see him and the chain. He stepped to the right a bit, holding the chain. He swung, jumping the chain as it heated up. Basically, he played Jump Rope but with a fire chain.

He made it to 127 when he stopped. He yanked the blade to his hand and dropping it. He turned off the camera, and pocketed his phone. He sat down on a bench. He checked his watch. 11:37. Wow. No wonder he was so tried. He had to get back home before anyone noticed. He picked up the blades, wrapping the chains around his arms to minimize carrying heavy chains. He also put the blades on his back. He didn't need scabbards. Neat and handy!

He trekked down Lookout Point, content in the video he made. He made it to his front door, opened it slowly, and tiptoed to his room. He made it to his room without any trouble.

It was when he made it to his room when it happened.

The chains glowed red-hot, searing and branding his skin as Lincoln tried not to cry out. He whimpered quietly as the chains burned him. The chains stopped burning him. He dropped to the ground, drained. He tried to unwrap the chains, but found that he couldn't. He tried to no avail.

"Why won't this work?!" He whisper-shouted. "Come on! Come on! Come on!"

The chains did not come off. He decided to try something the next day. In the meantime, he decided he should get some rest. He laid in bed, covered his entire body with his blanket, faced his door, and fell asleep immediately.

He heard Lori's voice. "Hey, twerp. It's time to get up. Come on!" She knocked on his door. Lucky he had that deadbolt locked when he got the chance.

Lincoln opened his eyes and rubbed his eyes. He saw the chains on his arms.

"Ok, Lori. I'll be right there." He said.

"Alright. Breakfast is almost ready, so hurry up." Her voice took on a mother's tone. Lincoln smiled. She still cared.

"'Kay. See you there." He got out of bed, and drew his blades. He set them under his bed, wanting to test something.

They detach from the chains when he puts them on his back, and when he swings his blades by the chain, they reattach. He swung a chain. The blade suddenly appeared, glowing red hot. He detached the blade and set it under his bed. He took out a hoodie and slipped it on.

It covered the chains perfectly. He nodded, then opened the door and set off to the bathroom. He saw Lucy.

Be cool. Whew... "Hey, Luce." He said.

"Hey, Lincoln. Say, you didn't happen to not be in your bed last night, did you?" She said.

Does she know? Only one way to find out. He pushed Lucy into her room, and pressed her shoulders to the wall.

"What do you know. Tell me all of it." He said.

"Enough. I know you left near the time you went to bed, and came back at around midnight." She explained.

"Anything you may have seen me with? Huh?" He said.

"No. I only heard. But I just wanted to know, so thank you." She slipped out of his grasp.

"Uh... you're welcome?" He asked, unsure of what to do. Should he ask if she saw the blades? Or should he leave it be? He decided the latter option and went into the bathroom, where he saw Luna, Luan, and Lynn brushing their teeth.

"Hey, brah." Luna said.

"Hey, Luna." Lincoln said.

"Hey, bro." Lynn and Luan said.

"Hey." Lincoln said. He picked up his toothbrush and put toothpaste on it. He watered it a little, then started to brush.

"So, did ya see the news?" Luna asked.

"No..." Lincoln said. "Why?"

"Well, there was this guy with fire whips, swinging them and hitting the big boulder on Lookout Point." She said.

Lincoln choked on his toothpaste. He choked it back up and coughed.

"Woah, you okay, bro?" Lynn asked.

"I'm okay. Just...took me by surprise, that's all. Any idea who this guy is?" He said.

"Nope," Luan said. "He made like a fire and blazed outta there! Hahaha! Get it?"

Everyone in the bathroom groaned. Then facepalmed. Except Luan.

"Well, thanks, Luna." Lincoln said, rinsing his mouth and making his way downstairs.

"No prob, bro." She replied.

Lincoln grabbed a banana, since he didn't have much of an appetite. He grabbed his stuff and walked out the door, where the bus picked him up.

He made his way to the back, where he usually sat. Then Chandler, the school bully, started to annoy him.

"Hey, Larry." He said. Oh, god, not again with this crap. "What's up?" Chandler asked. "How's your sisters? Your dumb blond sisters." He laughed with his cronies, who acted as his 'yes men'. One gave him a high-five.

"Or what about your sister Leni? She still dumb? Or is she even more retarded?" He cackled like a hyena.

Lincoln clenched his fists. The chains got warm. Calm down, Lincoln. He's not worth it.

"Or how 'bout your gay sister, Luna? She doesn't belong here, along with all the other fags!" Chandler said. He laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Lincoln's chains grew hot, almost burning off his sleeves.

He attacked.


	3. 3

Lincoln leapt at Chandler, backhanding his face. Chandler flew out of his seat, and the other kids either cheered or urged Chandler to get up.

Chandler got up, only to be met by Lincoln's fist, wrapped in chains. Lincoln socked him in the jaw, almost breaking it. And to make matters worse, the chain was glowing with heat, searing Chandler's face. Lincoln roared, fire exploding from his arms and body, his vision tinged red. The other chain wrapped itself around Lincoln's other arm.

Chandler hit Lincoln in his stomach. Lincoln didn't move. Chandler looked up and saw Lincoln snarling at him.

"Uh... I'm sorry?"

Lincoln hit Chandler, sending him to the bus' back door. Chandler slammed into the door, Lincoln close behind. Lincoln grabbed Chandler's head and slammed it into the door, again and again and again. Blood flowered on the door.

Chandler elbowed Lincoln in the ribs, making Lincoln throw him into a seat and slam both hands into Chandler's stomach. Chandler coughed up blood.

Lincoln's vision returned to its normal state as he saw what he did.

"Woah." He said. He did this? Lincoln Loud did this? It felt good. Like he could stop anyone in his way.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked. The bus driver look down on him.

"You, young man, are in very serious trouble." She said.


	4. 4

In the counselor's office, Lincoln and Chandler sat in chairs next to each other. In front of them was the school counselor, the nicest person in the whole school, Ms. Pierce. She looked at them like she had seen this before. She never saw a fight like this before.

She decided to break the ice. "Boys, I know that things happen sometimes, and you don't want to talk about it, but you have to tell me everything in order to fix it and make everything right. So, Chandler, tell me your side of what happened." She steepled her fingers.

Chandler gulped. "Uh..."

"It's okay, Chandler, this is a safe place. You can trust me." Ms. Pierce said.

"Well, it was on the bus, and Larry-uh, I mean, Lincoln-" He looked at Lincoln in fear, like Lincoln would hurt him if he got his name wrong. "Got on the bus. I said some stuff to him, and he hit me. My dad taught me to defend myself if your opponent to strike first, so I was defending myself." He grew more confident by the second.

"But he decided to hurt me even more. He had chains on his hands. They were red-hot, and he seared my face!" He yelled, showing his burns from Lincoln. Lincoln just hung his head in shame, knowing he was dead when he got home.

"He slammed me into the bus' back door, and rammed my face into the glass! And he flung me into the seat, hitting me in the stomach!" Chandler continued.

"Well, that's interesting. Lincoln, anything to tell me?" Ms. Pierce said.

Lincoln nodded. He recounted when he saw Chandler insulting his sisters and that he was just defending his family. He just got out of control.

"Alright, Lincoln. But that doesn't explain the chains. Why did you bring them?" Ms. Pierce said.

"It wasn't my choice. They're permanently bonded to me. I can't get them off." Lincoln said, tugging on the chains to emphasize his point.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you will figure it out sometime. But you both know the consequences will be severe. I won't make this decision, because I helped you. I'll let the others deal with that." Ms. Pierce stood up and opened the door. "You boys are good to go."

Lincoln and Chandler stood up. Lincoln stuck his hand out to Chandler, who flinched as if Lincoln's hand was on fire. "We cool?" He asked.

Chandler hesitated, then shook his hand. "Yeah, we're cool." He smiled at Lincoln.

"Aw. It's so nice to see you getting along. Well, I'm off. See you later." Ms. Pierce waved and left. As soon as she left, Lincoln grabbed Chandler by the neck.

"You tell anyone, and I'll kill you. Got me?" Lincoln asked.

Chandler gulped and nodded quickly.

"Good." He let go. Chandler ran to his classroom.

Lincoln sighed. He needed to make a call. He needed someone to pick him up. He wanted to go home and it wasn't even lunchtime.

He went to Mrs. Johnson's room, and went to her desk.

"Mrs. Johnson, can I call my parents?" He asked her.

"Sure, Lincoln." She said. "Just be sure you step into the hall first." She added.

Lincoln stepped out of the room, his phone in hand. He dialed his mother's number and hit Call.

He waited until his mom picked up.

"Hey, Lincoln." She said. Her tone didn't sound good.

"Hey, mom. Listen, can you pick me up from school? I don't really wanna be here. Plus, I can't focus after that fight." He said.

"So I heard. Why did you hit him? Lincoln, you're better than this." She said. Lincoln winced on the other line. He hated when she pulled that card, so he pulled his own.

"He insulted my sisters. I had to do something." He said.

"Yes, but don't fight him! What were you thinking?" She sighed. "Don't answer that. I'll come pick you up. Don't worry, you're not in trouble." She said.

"See ya, Mom." Lincoln said.

"Bye, Lincoln." Mrs. Loud said.

He hung up. He sighed. His blades were back home. What if Lucy finds them? Or someone else? Maybe even Leni?

No.

He couldn't do that to his family.

He had to keep them hidden unil the time was right.

Lincoln couldn't pay attention in class, only the horrific amount of rage he went through. The fire shooting from his body, the red vision, his new strength. He focused on that instead of school. After a while, Lincoln was called for dismissal. Lincoln gathered his things and bid his class adieu.

When he got to the office, he saw his mother waiting for him. Lincoln hung his head as they left.

Mrs. Loud talked to Lincoln for a while about the fight, and she found out about the chains. Lincoln never specified where he got them, but gave a very vague answer: "In a hole."

They arrived home, and Mrs. Loud dropped the mom hammer.

"You're grounded today. Do not leave this house, don't call anyone, only me, your father, and your sisters. Okay?" She said.

Lincoln nodded. He was going to leave anyway. He might as well not give her any more to worry about.

"Ok. I'm going back to work. Be good." She leaned down and pecked his cheek. "Bye, Lincoln."

"Bye, Mom." Lincoln said.

Mrs. Loud left. After a few minutes, Lincoln opened the front door and ran to Lookout Point. When he got to the top, he swung his chains and the blades appeared on them. He swung and swung. He slammed them into the boulder and flung them back into his hands.

Again.

He got into a rhythm, throwing and flinging. He had his hood on just in case anyone caught him.

Again.

He backflipped, slamming the blades into the boulder and landing. Back they came.

Again!

Lincoln threw a blade into a tree beside the boulder.

Sloppy. Pathetic.

Lincoln was getting angry. He spun the blades and struck the boulder. Sparks flew as they glanced off the boulder.

Again!

He spun the blades and struck again. Deep grooves were made in the stone this time. Back they went.

AGAIN!!!

He slammed the chains on the ground as the blades fell to the boulder, slicing it into three. Sparks and magma hit the ground. The sides of the cuts were red hot and steaming.

AGAIN!!!

No. No more. He dropped the blades, covering his face with his hands. Tears fell from his face as his body shook with each breath. He realized the voice wasn't his. It was deep and smooth.

He picked up the blades and looked at his reflection in the polished surface. He stared intently at his face, trying to see anyone other than himself, when there was an orange flash, blinding him and burning the flesh on the left side of his face. He cradled his face as tears spilled out of his eyes, aggravating his burn even more.

Lincoln looked at his reflection again. He saw his face, except he saw a burn in the shape of a red line down his forehead and sharply crossing his eye and his cheek.

"Oh, no." He said. "This isn't good."

He ran back home, leaping through his room's window, landing on his bed. He rushed to the bathroom, and put makeup on his face to hide his burn. Sure, it hurt like hell, but he toughed through it.

A few hours later, he heard Vanzilla pull into the driveway and heard car doors opening and closing, and his sister's voices. By this time, Lincoln had the makeup with him at all times now, just in case.

He heard his family enter the living room. Then he heard his sisters coming up the stairs.

No. Not now.

He locked the deadbolt, and (just in case his sisters pulled out the battering ram) wrapped a chain around the door and onto his desk. He tugged. Suitable enough. He panted heavily, guilty of what happened.

He heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"We know you've been in a fight this morning, Lincoln! Open up!" Lola said. Blunt, like always.

"Go away. You always meddle in affairs you shouldn't." He said.

"We're coming in whether you like it or not, brah!" Luna said. She jiggled the doorknob. It didn't give. She tried shoving the door and turning the knob. Nope. She tried ramming her body into the door. Nuh-Uh.

She turned to Lana. "Get the battering ram, dude." Lana went to retrieve the ram.

Inside his room, Lincoln started to panic. He didn't want to buy a new door. Not again. He tightned his chain and prepared for the worst.

A few minutes later, he heard the ram hit his door. It shuddered under the strike. It held with the chain, though. The ram hit again. The chain shook. Then again. A small hole blew in the door. He got a view of Lisa's face.

"Brother, I would suggest you open the door before it gets ugly." She said.

"Never." He replied.

"Fair enough." Lisa pulled out a detonator. She pressed the button.

A small explosion sent Lincoln, the chain, and the door flying into the wall. Lincoln's sisters came in and stood him up.

"What happened?" Lori asked, hands on her hips.

"I don't wanna talk about it." He said. He was clamming. An excellent strategy, by his terms.

"What are these?" Lola asked. She pulled one of the blades from under his bed. "Lincoln, did you use these in the fight?! I'm telling Dad!" She said before dropping the blade and walking out of the room.

"Not so fast!" Lincoln yelped, and threw both chains around her. The chains snaked around her body, pinning her arms to her sides and her legs together. She struggled.

"Lincoln, let me go!" She said.

"Not until you listen to me." He said. He warmed the chains. Lola began to sweat. She tried to break the chains. She sweat even more this time. Lincoln grew a manic grin as he warmed the chains even more, making then glow. Lola started to scream.

"Stop! Please!" She cried. But her cries fell on deaf ears as he took one of the blades from under the bed and raise it. He prepared to strike down Lola.

A loud blast of sound sent Lincoln to his wall again. Luna saved the day with her speakers turned to 11. She slapped Lincoln before he could get up. "Dude, what's wrong with you?! You almost killed your own sister!" She said.

Lincoln shook his head. What was that? He lost control again.

"I don't know." He said. "It happened during the fight. I lost control and hurt him worse than I should've." He said, hanging his head. He needed to get out of here. He looked to his window.

Escape.

He ran to the window as a desperate bid for freedom. His sisters grabbed him and dragged him downstairs.

"For your own good, bro. You'll thank us later." Luna said.

Lincoln growled like an animal as he was dragged downstairs. He felt rage returning to him.

He brought his arms in and threw them apart. He roared and sent fire shooting from his body as the familiar tinge of red returned. He threw half of his sisters off him with one hand, the other half with the other hand.

He dusted himself off. He ran up to his room, grabbed the cloth they came in, and jumped out his window and into the night.


	5. 5

Lincoln ran. Ran for miles without stopping. He eventually came to an unfamiliar forest. He was lost. Hopelessly lost.

He frantically tried to make his way back home, with the blades serving as his beacons of hope. And light source.

He ended up getting more lost by the minute. When he finally decided to stop was when he tripped and rolled down a large hill. He set up a small camp where he rolled, using the blades for warmth. He managed to find food and cook it at the same time.

As he was nomming on some deer, Lincoln wondered if he was lost forever. It seemed like it. And he also wondered where these blades belonged to and how he managed to get them. He decided to sleep it off.

Pulling a jacket around him and igniting a blade near him, Lincoln fell asleep.

Lincoln's Dream

Lincoln strode across a battle field. He was the most feared general in all of Greece, not unknown to anyone. But Lincoln wanted to let the whole world to know the glory of Sparta, the city he served and where he was from.

But the Spartans were no match for the Barbarians from the East. The Barbarians overpowered every soldier, every lieutenant, everyone. Even Lincoln found himself at the mercy of the Barbarian leader. But not today.

He lifted his head to the sky as the Barbarian leader raised his hammer.

"Ares!" Lincoln called to the God of War. "Destroy my enemies, and my life... is yours!" That promise sealed his doom for the rest of his days.

Ares descended from the heavens and rained hell on the Barbarians with the full measure of a god. He destroyed Lincoln's enemies, yet he needed to give his life to Ares. His soul, more specifically.

Lincoln dropped to his knees. "My life... is yours." He said. Ares nodded.

"Good." He said.

Then, Lincoln saw bird woman things carry two blades with chains attached to them to him. They gave the blades to Lincoln.

The chains wrapped around his arms and seared his flesh, permanently bonding to his skin.

End of Dream

Lincoln awoke to a searing pain in his arms. He saw the blades glowing with heat. He calmed himself once again. The glow faded. Good.

He picked up after himself and left the hill, home on his mind.

On the way, he met many people, even a potential love interest. Her name was Faye. She had golden blond hair and frost blue eyes. And she was 11, same as him. He met her on his journey to Royal Woods when he went through Detroit. She was walking beside him at the time. He stared at her for so long, he rammed into a pole. She laughed. He laughed. Romance blossomed. They promised they would keep in touch. Lincoln went on his way.

He managed to get from Toledo (Ohio) to Flint without needing a break. He collapsed on the hard concrete beside the road. He knew this road. He and his family were practicing 'well-rounded time' and cleaned the trash from the roads from Royal Woods to here in Flint. He could get home from here.

He texted Faye to tell her he was okay, like he did every day since they started dating. Then he told her that he was close to his home. She was happy for him and excited that he was going home.

Lincoln pocketed his phone and tried to relax. He would tell them the whole truth, and leave nothing out. Then, hopefully they would help him get the chains off. Hopefully being the active phrase here.

Lincoln walked the length of the road from Flint all the way back to Royal Woods. It took a while, maybe a couple hours, but he finally managed to make it to familiar territory.

He walked through Royal Woods, taking in the sights he hadn't seen in days. He felt at peace. Now all he needed was to get the chains off and he'd be in paradise.

He reached Ronnie Anne's old house when he heard his phone ring. He picked up.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Lincoln, I forgot to tell you something." It was Faye. What had she forgotten about?

"Well, what is it?" He asked. He started back again to his house.

"When you see your family again, don't mention me, ok?" She asked.

"Why?" Lincoln was confused. He got an official girlfriend, why shouldn't he?

"Usually, people don't like me when they meet me." She said.

"Why?" Lincoln asked.

"Please don't ask questions, Linc, please." She said.

"Faye, you can talk to me. You know that, right?" He said.

"I know, but... I just don't trust you that much just yet. But I'm sure that in time, I could." Faye said.

"Alright, I'm coming up on my house. See ya later." Lincoln said.

"Ok. Remember, don't talk about me. Please." Faye said.

"Got it." He said. When Faye made a move to hang up, he stopped her.

"And hey!" He said. Faye put the phone back to her ear. "I love you." He said.

"I love you, too, Lincoln." Faye said.

They both hung up. Lincoln sighed happily. He saw his house number. 1216. The Loud House.

He saw that Vanzilla wasn't in the driveway. Maybe Mom and Dad are having a date night. Or the family went to the movies. He passed a 'Missing Person' sign with his picture. He never noticed it. He climbed the front steps and peered through the window. No one. Weird.

He opened the door slowly. He stepped over the threshold and into the house.

It was too quiet. No one was here. It usually had 16 other occupants to make noise. He searched all the rooms, his search becoming more fruitless by the minute. He searched his own room.

In it he saw a shrine dedicated to him. Small candles, pictures, even a small scrap of paper that said 'Please come home, Lincoln'. Lucy. She had to stop doing this kind of thing. He blew out the candles, so they wouldn't burn anything.

"Well, nobody's here. I've got the house to myself." He said, a grin growing on his face.

He decided to hang from the ceiling with his chains while eating junk food, watching Deadpool. The movie was hilarious, but he didn't want to have his family see him watching it, so he changed it at the part where Wade tries to find Francis (the Zamboni).

He finished his junk food, dropped from the ceiling and threw away his trash. He decided to do a few chores while his family was away.

He went down to the basement with a load of laundry. He was bored, so he might as well do this. He put in a load, started it (with lavender sheets), and went back up to the living room.

He dusted around the kitchen, using the blades where he couldn't reach. He was getting bored. He plopped on the couch and talked with Faye. After what felt like hours, he heard a car pull into the driveway. He leaped from the couch and into his room.

He facepalmed when he got to his room. He needed to go in the vents. He'll be safe there. He pulled off the vent cover and hauled himself into it. He covered the vent just as his door opened.

Lucy walked in and knelt at his shrine.

"Oh, spirits. Hear my call. Tell me where my brother is, and I shall reward you greatly." She said, taking out a ritual knife. She brought it down on her forearm. Drops of Lucy's blood dripped on Lincoln's shrine. Lincoln was disgusted. He never knew his little sister would go to these extremes to bring him back. He would've felt honored, if Lucy hadn't just cut herself.

He went to another vent entrance. This one led to Luna and Luan's room. He saw both of them just sitting there. It was sad. Lincoln wanted to come out and let them know he was okay. But he didn't want to see them after that little stunt they pulled days ago.

He went to the vent that lead outside. He kicked open the cover and climbed back down. He landed with a roll. He put his head down as he ran into the woods.

He sliced his way through as he walked to a clearing in the distance. Whe. He reached the clearing, he sat on a log and practiced what he was going to say to his family when he got back.

When he grabbed the nerve to go back, he heard a twig snap.


	6. 6

A gargantuan troll emerged from the woods behind him, carrying a stone pillar on its shoulder. Lincoln drew the blades, his brand glowing orange instead of the blades.

The troll advanced. Lincoln dodged the first swing. He swung a chain and hit the troll in its thigh. The troll cried out in pain, then backhanded Lincoln into a tree.

He slid down the tree slowly, groaning. He got back up, and the troll hit him with the pillar. He was sent flying into another tree. Lincoln got an idea.

He slammed his fist into the tree, breaking it off where he dented the tree, hoisted it into his hands, and smacked the troll in the face with it.

The end of the tree splintered as it hit the troll, knocking the troll off its feet. It hit the ground, and Lincoln stabbed it through the heart before it could get up. It roared in anguish before disintegrating into black ash.

Lincoln leaned on a tree. That was fast, even for him. And he only used the blades once. His brand's glow died down as he caught his breath. He walked through the path he cut back to his house, accepting the monster he was becoming.

But, meanwhile in the trees, a figure dropped down. He had blue tattoos on his entire body, except his face. He had a small beard, braided at the ends.

He looked at Lincoln until he was out of sight. The stranger looked to the sky.

"Allfather. I found him."


	7. 7

Lincoln walked back home. When he reached the door, he rapped the door with his knuckles. The door opened, revealing Luna. She gasped.

"Lincoln?" She asked.

Lincoln spread his arms. "Yep."

She squealed, wrapping her arms around him. She squeezed like there was no tomorrow. Lincoln squeezed back and lifted her in the air, spinning around. He set her back down.

"Is this real?" She asked.

"I wouldn't dream of leaving again." He said. "Yes, it's real."

She squealed again. She ran back into the house, screaming to the others that Lincoln was back. Soon, he was wrapped in a giant group hug, even his parents got in on the action.

"We're so glad to have you back, son." Said Lynn Sr.

"Good to be back." Lincoln said.

"Well, come on! Meatloaf's on!" Lynn Sr. said, leading the family to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the Stranger looked on in disgust. Somehow, this boy had gotten ahold of an Ancient Greek artifact that had amazing power. He needed to bring him in to Odin if he wanted to live. Not that Odin could kill him.

Stranger made his way around the backyard silently. He needed to find clothes that the people wore, in order to blend in.

As he walked down the street, Stranger couldn't help but notice people were staring at him. He didn't care. Enough people had stared at him.

He found a market called, 'Target'. He thought it was an archery market until he went inside. He found that the doors opened by themselves, almost as if by magic.

"Interesting." He said. He was amazed that ordinary people like the ones he'd seen use magic abilities not unlike the Gods.

He wandered through Target, searching for clothes, or at least a shirt to match his pants. Maybe he could find a brown shirt, then rip it a little to match.

And that's what he found. A large brown shirt, big but not exactly hanging off of his body.

"Yes, this will do nicely." Stranger said as he left the store.

Although, he was stopped before he left. The man had 'Security' on his shirt, as well as a belt that had a manner of things in it.

"Excuse me, sir, but are you gonna pay for that?" Security said, getting in his face.

"Look, you don't want this. I just came to get a shirt. Look, I'll even pay." Stranger said, pulling out coins from his trousers.

Security looked at the coins, then to Stranger. He had a confused look on his face.

"You think this is some kind of a joke?" Security asked.

"No, no, this isn't." Stranger defended. "This isn't your currency?" He asked.

"No, it isn't. Now, I'm gonna need you to put the shirt back up and leave the store if you don't have the sufficient funds." Security said. "Or I'm gonna have to force you out."

This'll be fun. "Okay, look. I'm going to take this shirt, and you won't stop me." Stranger said, poking Security's chest.

"Sir, get out of the store before I use force." Security threatened.

"No. You won't use force." Stranger said, his fist glowing blue. "I will."

He punched Security, sending him flying into the ceiling, then falling back down, rendering him unconscious.

Stranger waltzed out the door, and announced to the store,

"Anyone asks who did this, say Baldur did it!" Baldur said, laughing maniacally.

He then exited the door, and went back to the kid's house. The one with The Blades of Chaos.


	8. 8

Lincoln was sitting on the Loud House's back porch after dinner. He was thinking about his very short fight with the troll not 30 minutes ago. He managed the break an oak tree with his bare hands. Nobody can do that.

So, he decided to go try lifting larger objects or break more trees to see if the brawl was a figment of his imagination. He grasped his blades and sheathed them on the back of his waist. He had used that spot because Faye had said it was a better vantage point to grab them.

He opened the back door and announced he was going into the woods for a bit and might miss curfew.

"Okay, son. Try to be careful!" Lynn Sr. Waved to Lincoln.

"Take care of yourself!" Rita added. "We don't want to lose you."

Lincoln chuckled. "Sure, mom."

He strolled into the woods, and looked for a large boulder or a sturdy-looking tree. He turned a corner and saw a boulder that had to weigh one ton at least.

He unsheathed the Blades and stuck them into the ground. He approached the boulder and run his hands over its surface. It was smooth, like a super-sized pebble.

Then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the ID.

'Clyde McBride.' Lincoln pressed 'Answer and brought the phone to his ear.

"Yo!"

"Lincoln? Is that you?" Clyde asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Lincoln answered slowly. "Why?"

"Because you were gone for too long, and we all thought you could've been kidnapped or dead, or -"

"Clyde! Calm down!" Lincoln interrupted. "You're hyperventilating. Take deep breaths. You don't wanna pass out again."

He heard Clyde breathing deeply on the other line. Then, a loud knock.

"Hang on, Lincoln." Clyde said. "It might be my dads. They told me they'd start knocking." He heard steps going away from the phone, and the door opening.

"Wait. Who are you?" Clyde whimpered.

"Clyde? CLYDE!" Lincoln shouted.

There was a smack, then a thud as Clyde went sailing into his bedroom wall.

Footsteps approached the phone, there was some rustling, and a smooth, accented voice came through the reciever:

"Is this the child that wields he infamous Blades of Chaos?" He said.

"What have you done to my friend?" Lincoln demanded.

"Oh, you already know the answer to that." The stranger answered. "He's unconscious, your friend is fine."

"What do you want?" Lincoln asked.

"I want you." The stranger replied. "I need to bring you to my father. In Asgard."

"Asgard?" Lincoln asked. "But that's a myth."

"Oh, it's most certainly real." The stranger said. "Meet me at the corner of 3rd and Oak. There's a bus stop there. Don't keep me waiting. Or... your little friend gets it."

"Call ended." Lincoln's phone said. Lincoln pocketed his phone and grabbed the Blades.

'Practice will have to wait.' He thought. He marched to the house and into the living room.

"Hey, Stinkin'." Lynn said. She noticed his grim expression. "Woah. What's up?" She asked, concerned.

"Some man has kidnapped Clyde and wants me to meet him at the corner of 3rd and Oak. I might fight him to get Clyde back." Lincoln announced.

There was a long pause.

"Well, we have to go with you!" Lori spoke up. "What if you need help?"

"I don't think I need help, Lori." Lincoln said, his hand resting on one of the Blades' pommels.

"But what if you can't use you magic swords to beat him? What if you need help?" Lola asked.

"Pish posh. Those blades aren't magic." Lisa said.

"Then, how do you know?" Leni asked.

"Guys!" Lincoln interjected. "I'm leaving." He turned on his heel and headed to the door.

Lynn sprang from her spot on the couch and grabbed Lincoln's bicep.

"No! We're going with you! Whether you like it or not!" She said as she stared into his now-glowing eyes. Yellow with red pupils. Interesting.

Lincoln, seeing as his family won't back down, he sighed in defeat.

"Fine," He said. "But you stay outta my way."

"Done!" Rita said. "Everyone into Vanzilla!"

The Louds piled into Vanzilla, and Lynn Sr. pulled out of the driveway.

"Where to, sweetie?" Rita turned and asked Lincoln.

"The corner of 3rd and Oak. He's probably waiting."

"Okay." Rita said. "Punch it, Lynn!" She said to Sr.

Lynn Sr. nodded and sped up.

"I'm comin', Clyde. Just you wait." Lincoln muttered as he looked ahead.


	9. 9

5 minutes later, the Louds turned onto 3rd and Oak, to see a man in a blue tunic and leather pants and fur-lined boots, a tan cloth hanging from his waist, kept together with a red belt. He was wearing a brown Viking tunic. And his beard was braided at the ends of it, and reached his collarbone. His head was shaved, only a thick strip of hair on top, braided at its end.

His icy blue eyes seemed to stare through Vanzilla and to Lincoln. The aforementioned boy shuddered every time they made eye contact. 'This is definitely him.', Lincoln thought. He rubbed his face brand, as it was itching again.

They pulled over and all 13 got out of the van and stood in front of the man.

"Are you the man that kidnapped my son's friend?" Rita stepped up and asked.

"Ah, so you're his mother." Stranger said.

(A/N: I keep calling him 'Stranger', even though I called him by name 2 chapters ago, is because the Louds don't know his name yet.)

"A pleasure to meet you." Stranger continued. He grabbed Rita's hand and kissed it.

Lynn Sr. smacked Stranger's arm away. Stranger's head whipped menacingly toward him.

"And who might you be?" He asked.

"I'm her husband, thank you very much." Lynn Sr. said.

"Oh. My condolences." Stranger raised his hands and backed away.

"What does that mean?" Leni whispered.

Stranger seemed to hear her. "It's, um, sort of a fancy way of saying, 'I'm sorry.'"

(BTW, my new follower clockworkskull, as of now, has 69 followers. Noice, m8.)

"Oh! Like, okay!" Leni grinned.

"Okay, I'm here. Now what?" Lincoln pushed his way through his family and stepped up to Stranger.

"Hm. I thought you'd be skinnier." Stranger said, looking at Lincoln's larger muscles poking through his orange polo. "I worried you wouldn't come. Are these your sisters?" He asked.

Lincoln was caught off-guard. "Wait, how did you guess that?"

"Odin has had many children, including myself, and my brother, Thor." Stranger said, stroking his beard.

"Wait!" Lincoln shouted. "Thor's brother, beard. You're Baldur?" He asked.

"Yes!" Baldur clapped his hands. "Give the child a reward! I am, indeed, Baldur."

"Excuse me, but how are you a Norse God? They don't exist." Lisa said bluntly.

"Well, smart girl, science, or your science, is wrong. Gods are real. I can show you."

"By what? Giving me an LSD?"

"Child, I would never drug you. It's magic." Baldur kneeled to Lisa's face.

"Hey!" Lincoln said, tapping Baldur's shoulder. Baldur stood up.

"Ready to go? If you want to fight, I can assure you that you can do this the easy way." Baldur threatened.

"First, I wanna know what I'll be doing in Asgard." Lincoln demanded.

"Of course. You'll be training under Odin's rule for a few years, give or take, and then stay in Valhalla, where you can do anything you want." Baldur said.

"And I'll get my friend back?"

"Immediately, if not sooner."

"No." Lincoln said. "I won't go. I know if I go to Valhalla, I won't go back to Midgard."

"Well, someone has their vocabulary in the right place. But, in Valhalla, you have the choice of going back to Midgard any time you wish."

Lincoln was swaying more to Baldur's side, but a voice in his head said, 'No, boy. Do not listen to him. He will twist you against you peers.'

Lincoln trusted the voice. It sounded like... friendly. Somehow.

"I'm not going with you." Lincoln repeated, stepping closer to Baldur. They had a short staring contest, then Baldur scowled.

Suddenly, a blinding pain and a flash crossed his vision as he found himself on the ground. Baldur had hit him.

"Fool! I will kill your friend! Come with me or he dies!" Baldur shouted. He picked up Lincoln by his collar and shook him.

Lincoln opened his blackened eyes and saw Baldur at eye level. He felt very angry. His brand glowed orange.

He put his hands on Baldur's shoulders and shoved him away. Baldur stepped back.

Lola threw herself on Baldur, scratching him with her nails and shoes.

"How dare you hurt my brother! You're gonna pay for that!!!"

Baldur calmly threw her into the side of a car. The door dented heavily as the alarm chirped repeatedly.

The Louds got mad and rushed him, but were stopped by his piercing gaze. His eyes were glowing frost blue.

Lincoln stood up and stared him down.

"Give me. My friend. And leave. My home." He growled.

Baldur exhaled. "You're going to have to kill me for that to happen." He hit Lincoln across his face once again. Only Lincoln's head snapped to the side. Baldur hit his stomach, and uppercutted his chin.

Lincoln was in pain, but didn't want to give Baldur the satisfaction of hearing him whimper. He was sure his jaw was cracked. And he might have a broken rib.

Baldur threw a right hook. Lincoln grabbed his fist and judo slammed Baldur into the concrete. The rock shattered and crumbled under the force of his crash.

Baldur groaned in slight pain.

"Leave now." Lincoln said, approaching him. "Or I'll have to make you." He grabbed Baldur by his tunic and raised him to his eye level.

Baldur chuckled. "I've already done this song and dance with your ancestor. It was fun. Now, to bring it full circle." He said, breaking from the hold, jumped to his feet, locked his fists together, and smacked Lincoln in his stomach.

Lincoln's feet left the ground, and he found himself sailing through the air, hundreds of feet in the air, past the streets and tall buildings of the city. He definitely knew he had puked back at the corner, due to the stinging in his throat.

What was Lincoln thinking?

'OH, MY GOD! HOLY CRAP! AAAAAAAAH!!!'

But at the same time, he was sort of... calm, up there in the night. The wind flowing through his slightly longer hair (think 80s Lincoln but with a trim), the silence, was all very relaxing. That is, until he crashed into a brick wall.

The back of his head smashed through the wall, and the rest of him got stuck in the rest of it, the chains biting into the wall.

He heard muffled screams from the other side of the wall. He had to find Baldur and stop him before he hurt his family. Or anyone else.

He shook himself from his daze, eased his limbs from the wall, and flipped over so that he was gripping his outline he left in the wall. The Blades were gone from his waist, he noticed. He looked around, using his brand as a light source. He saw one of the Blades on the familiar-looking couch, and one embedded on a balcony below him.

He dropped to said balcony, and pulled the blade from the railing. He jumped up to the outline of himself, and wondered how he could get in without breaking more of the wall. As his head was turned away from the wall in deep thought, he didn't notice the girl walking into the room.

"Lincoln?" She asked.

Lincoln's head raised to the hole to see who recognised him.

"Ronnie Anne?"


	10. 10

"What're you doing here? In the wall, I might add." Ronnie Anne interrogated, raising her brow at Lincoln.

Lincoln raised a hand. "Now, I know this looks bad, but -"

"And what is that on your face?!"

"Ah! Zip it!" Lincoln said. "This is a brand," He continued, touching the brand. "I need you to give me that sword on your couch."

Ronnie looked to the couch and saw one of the Blades sticking in it. She walked to the couch, and tugged out the blade.

"Oof." She said. "It's heavy."

"Really?" Lincoln asked. "I never thought they were."

She brought the blade to the hole, and Lincoln grabbed the handle and pulled it through, sheathing it on his waist with its twin.

"Look, I-I gotta go. I promise I'll explain later!" He said, jumping from the wall.

"Bye!" He added as he faded from sight.

Ronnie Anne looked on as she wondered aloud, "Wait till I have to explain this to Grandma."

Lincoln was leaping from building to building, trying to spot Baldur. He soon found out where he was when Baldur tackled him into the street.

Both ate asphalt as they crashed through an empty parked car, causing a traffic jam in the process.

Lincoln threw Baldur off him. Baldur bounced off another car's hood.

Baldur slowly got up. "Well, looks like someone's got some help from Grampy, hm? Let me remind you, I have your friend. I now have your family. The stakes are higher than ever."

Lincoln drew the Blades, rage coursing his mind. "Let's finish this so I can get my family back."

"What about your friend?"

"He is family." Lincoln said. He then ran to Baldur, swinging the Blades in circles menacingly.

Baldur, well aware he can die now, ran to intercept Lincoln. He jumped as Lincoln did, and grabbed his arms.

Lincoln kicked Baldur off him with both legs, and threw a blade at him. It connected with his clavicle, slicing through it and embedding it in his muscle. Baldur screamed.

Baldur gripped the chain, and pulled Lincoln to him. Lincoln, expecting this, slammed his shoe into Baldur's face, then ripped the blade from Baldur's shoulder.

Baldur grabbed Lincoln, threw him on his back, and slid underneath him. He wrapped his arm around Lincoln's neck, put his other hand behind his head, and trapped his legs, so that he couldn't do any funny business.

Meanwhile, the Louds and Clyde observed the carnage, bound by magic rope on a building. Lynn Jr., however, recognized Baldur's move all too well; she had done it and escaped from it: the Rear Naked Choke.

"Oh, no." She said. "He's got him in a choke hold. If we don't get outta here, Lincoln could die!"

Lincoln was struggling against Baldur's hold, even punching his face to get him to lose his grip. But Baldur didn't budge. So Lincoln did the one thing he saved as a last resort: He drove his foot into Baldur's crotch.

Baldur screeched and released Lincoln. Baldur held his package as he panted heavily, while Lincoln coughed to get his airways working properly.

The truce passed while Baldur was still in pain.

"It didn't have to be this way." Baldur managed. "You could've went with me, and nobody had to be hurt."

Lincoln wasn't having it. He drew the Blades once more, and he slapped Baldur with the flat of a blade.

Baldur fell to the ground. Lincoln lifted him by his ankle and swung him into a street lamp. His head pinged as it hit the lamp. Lincoln swung him into a building, sending rock, dust, and blood flying.

Baldur rose to his feet quickly, even though he was heavily injured.

He caught a Blade as it was about to slice his head in half. He also caught Lincoln's left jab.

Strength returned to Baldur as his wounds healed. He closed his eyes. Lincoln's eyes widened as he took it in.

'This guy can heal?!?'

Baldur opened his eyes, now glowing blue and red.

"Care to try again?" He asked, before kneeing Lincoln into a nearby skyscraper. Baldur smashed into his body, sending him into an office cubicle.

Lincoln blocked a punch, then grabbed a printer, and brought it down on Baldur's head.

Baldur went down as Lincoln picked him up again. This time, Lincoln grabbed his waistband, and his tunic's collar, hefted Baldur over his head, and kneed his spine, shattering it.

He dropped Baldur, now paralysed, and jumped down to the sidewalk, almost collapsing when he landed.

He used a Blade as a crutch, and grabbed his phone, and texted Lori:

Where are you guys?

After a minute, Lori actually replied:

We just escaped. We're at the building to your right.

Lincoln looked to his right and saw a relatively short building. Upon further inspection, he saw his family and Clyde standing on the edge of the roof, all waving at him.

Lincoln smiled and laughed. Then, he doubled over. Everything hurt. Ouch.

He went inside the building and took the elevator to the roof.

After an awkward silence, a ding sounded off and the doors opened, revealing them all on the roof.

Lincoln staggered to them, collapsing into their arms.

He was showered with worry and compliments, and he heard none of it. He just needed to be in someone's arms instead of someone being in his.

A crash resounded through the city.

"Leaving so soon?" Baldur shouted.

Lincoln looked up, and saw a large concrete boulder sail toward them.

The Louds and Clyde ducked down, but something happened to Lincoln.

His wounds healed with amazing speed. He roared as fire shot from his body once more.

Lincoln jumped off the edge of the building with godlike speed to the boulder and shattered it with one punch. He landed on the next building over, the fire trailing from his body, his eyes glowing yellow and red.

Around him, stood a fiery outline of a bearded man, with shoulder pads, a tattoo that circled his shoulder, back, and head.

Lincoln was angry. The real fight had begun...


	11. 11

Baldur stood in the middle of the roof, surveying Lincoln's feat of strength.

"Impressive, boy," He said, discarding his smoldering tunic. "But you'll have to do better than that to beat me!"

Lincoln turned to his family. The fire outline copied his movements. "Get out of here. I will deal with him." As he spoke, a deeper voice overlapped his, making it echo. The fiery man shrank to Lincoln's form, and fire wrapped his limbs in protection.

He dropped the Blades as he approached Baldur. He picked up his pace when he spotted Baldur do the same. Soon, they were sprinting full speed to each other. When they got close enough, Baldur reared his fist back for a right hook.

Lincoln ducked and hit Baldur with a left jab, then a right cross, dislocating his offender's jaw.

He didn't give Baldur any time to recover as he grabbed his head and smashed it in his own knee. A satisfactory crack resounded from Baldur's skull. Lincoln dropped Baldur and walked away.

Baldur staggered to his feet and started to heal again. "Well, someone has the nerve to break my head!" He said.

"You brought this on yourself!" Lincoln countered, turning back to him. "If you'd never have chased me down, we wouldn't be fighting, and I wouldn't be handing your butt to you!"

"Your words bore me, child." Baldur uttered. "Let's finish this."

"My thoughts exactly." Lincoln replied, putting his hands in guard position.

Baldur raised his hands. His skin glowed blue with fire of his own. He brought his hands down on the concrete roof.

"Ah, crap." Lincoln resigned.

A wave of fire and ice magic caught Lincoln in his chest as he flew backwards, almost falling off the building.

He grabbed into the edge, and reached for his Blades. Baldur kicked them off the building. They skittered to a stop on the road.

"Where are your weapons now?" Baldur asked.

"I don't need weapons to kick your -"

"Oh, whatever. You're coming with me." Baldur interrupted, lifting Lincoln by his hood like a newborn kitten.

"You're actually adorable when you're angry. Perhaps I'll keep you in Valhalla. You could be my surrogate son. Or a great friend. I always wanted a companion of some sort." Baldur mused as he trailed his hands through Lincoln's locks.

Lincoln grabbed Baldur's free hand and bit into it, drawing blood.

Baldur yelped and dropped Lincoln, who rolled away and delivered a round kick to his chest. Baldur hit an air conditioning unit, which dented at a weird angle when Baldur smacked into it.

Baldur shook his head and jumped to his feet. He gripped the AC unit and ripped it from the roof. He threw it at Lincoln, chargind behind the unit.

Lincoln saw the unit make a beeline for his face, and slid under it, Matrix style. But Baldur stomped Lincoln's midsection, causing him to lose his focus and roll to a stop. He coughed up a storm as Baldur once again approached him.

"Now. You are going to come with me, and like it." He threatened as he reached for Lincoln. Lincoln tried to crawl away, but Baldur stamped his hand, which shattered under the pressure. Lincoln's cries fell on deaf ears as Baldur grabbed Lincoln by his hoodie and saunter to the door.

"That was easy." He mused once more. "No wonder I beat you. Ol' Grampy had a hard time, too, you know.

"But that's not why," He continued. "You've never had any fighting experience. And that's what I'll teach you in Valhalla."

As he was monologuing, a figure rose onto the roof behind him. They had the Blades in their hands. They rushed Baldur silently.

"Well, if you're so quiet, I guess I'll-" He glanced down and saw Lincoln, unconscious.

"Oh, dear. Did I do that?"

Then, the mystery person swung a Blade into Baldur's shoulder, just about slicing his arm clean off. Blood spurted and flooded like a waterfall, with Baldur screaming in agony.

"Come, boy. I'll get you home." The figure said. It was the same man as in Lincoln's Ultimate Rage for Five Minutes, but his beard was almost white, accompanied by pale skin. His tattoo was red, and he had the Blades draped on his back.

He scooped Lincoln into his arms, and leaped off the building, leaving Baldur screaming behind him.


	12. 12

Lincoln woke up in his room, and felt a cold dampness on his forehead. He tried to look around his room, but saw that he couldn't move his head, only his eyes.

Lincoln tried to lift his hands. One of them flared with pain when he tried to lift it. He looked to his hand. It was in a cast, wrapped in rune-covered bandages. The runes on said bandages were glowing bright green.

He tried to sit up with his good hand, but found that he couldn't move his body.

'Can I talk?' He thought. 'Welp, only one way to find out.'

He cleared his throat and said, "Hello."

Wow, his voice was hoarse.

"How long have I been asleep?" He rasped.

Then, his door opened. The man who saved him in the city walked in and sat on his bed.

"Who are you?" Lincoln said, trying his best to move away from this stranger. (Remember, Lincoln was unconscious when this guy saved Lincoln)

"An ally." The man said. "I am Kratos of Sparta."

"Lincoln." Lincoln said. He coughed.

"Here," Kratos said, holding a cup of water to his mouth. "Drink. It will help soothe your throat."

Not one to be rude, Lincoln opened his mouth, and Kratos put the water to his lips. As Lincoln drank, he wondered why Kratos was helping him. After all, he wasn't sure Kratos knew a thing about him.

Lincoln nodded, and Kratos took the cup and set it on his dresser.

An awkward silence filled the room. Kratos kept staring at him with sadness in his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Lincoln said, his voice much better now.

"Apologies. You remind me of myself when I was younger." Kratos looked down to his lap.

"What were you like then?" Lincoln asked.

"Reckless. Arrogant. I never cared of the innocent, and slaughtered anyone in my path of vengeance."

"I never thought of myself as arrogant." Lincoln replied. "Well, sometimes, but I always cared about other people."

"That separates your fate from mine." Kratos said. "As long as you care, you will avoid the same fate as mine."

"What was your fate?"

"Endless nightmares and suffering. But my son helps with the pain."

"Is your son here?" Lincoln asked.

"Yes. I never go anywhere without him." Kratos replied.

Lincoln sat in thought. "How long until I can move again?"

"You can move. Your muscles need loosening. They are stiff." Kratos stood up, and grabbed one of his legs. He moved it back and forth, and massaged his foot. Once Lincoln could move it with no trouble, Kratos moved on to his other leg, and then his arms, then his body.

'He has strong arms, but surprisingly gentle,' Lincoln observed.

Once finished, Kratos removed the cold washcloth from his forehead, lifted Lincoln to his feet, and helped him downstairs.

"I'm pretty sure I can do this myself." Lincoln said.

"I am sure you need support, boy." Kratos said as they approached the staircase.

Kratos proved to be right, as Lincoln almost took a swan dive to the carpet when he insisted that he can stand just fine, and promtly tripped on his own weak feet. Kratos grabbed him by his hand to save him, and pulled him back up.

"Thanks." Lincoln said embarrassedly.

"You are welcome." Kratos said, as if nothing happened.

When they reached the living room, the Louds (plus Clyde) rushed him, hugging him tight and crying, saying that they thought he had died.

"Out of the way, lassies." A voice said from Kratos' hip. "Lincoln's gotta eat."

"You are right, Head." Kratos acknowledged. "Come, boy. We need to get you food."

As Kratos and Lincoln made their way to the kitchen, Lincoln looked to Kratos' hip.

A disembodied bearded head, with rope around his head, and... horns? And had a noose tied at the top, where it hung from his hip.

"Hey, there!" The head said with a smile.

Lincoln screamed and jumped into Kratos' arms.

"What is that?" Lincoln cried, pointing to the head.

"Why, I am Mimir, smartest man alive!" Then, Mimir thought of something. "Or... smartest zombie, seeing as I'm actually undead.

"But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you need a bite to eat." Mimir said as Kratos opened the fridge and started rummaging through it.

"Lincoln!" Clyde said, coming into the kitchen.

"Hey, dude." Lincoln said, fist-bumping Clyde. "What's up?"

"Oh, just need to grab you some food." Clyde explained as he approached the fridge.

"Boy. What do you -" Kratos began, but Clyde interrupted him.

"I got it, sir. Thanks." He said, and got the stuff to make a peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwich.

As Clyde was preparing the grub, a new voice said, "Gods, what is that smell?"

Lincoln looked to see who spoke. It was a young man, looked about 20, with a fur vest, a bow and arrow, and tattoos on his hands.

"Who are you?" Lincoln said, supporting himself on the counter.

"This is my son, Atreus." Kratos said, clapping a hand on Atreus' shoulder.

Atreus buckled under the force of the smack. "Yep. That's me." Atreus affirmed awkwardly.

"Hi!" Lincoln said, extending his hand to Atreus. "I'm Lincoln!"

"I know who you are." Atreus said, accepting the handshake. "You're fated to have a big part to play in your life, but not now. Later, maybe." He mused.

"Done!" Clyde announced as he brought two peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwiches to Lincoln.

"Thanks, man, I'm hungry!" Lincoln lamented as he scarfed down his food.

As Lincoln ate, he tried to make conversation with Kratos and Atreus.

"So... how do you guys know me?" He asked.

"You are a direct descendant of mine, child." Kratos replied, taking a seat beside Lincoln. "The blood of the gods has been strained to the point Gods being and endangered species." He explained. "We need to protect you to preserve the lineage. But, if you wish, you can appoint others to be Gods with you."

"Wait. I... I'm a God?" Lincoln asked. "Is that what explains how I can do all these things like this?" He said then hoisted Kratos up and then held him bridal style. Kratos didn't even flinch.

"Yes, boy. And it is also why you can wield the Blades comfortably. No other can, for they are too weak." Kratos said, getting out of Lincoln's arms.

"What?!" A voice said from the doorway. Lynn Jr. made her way to Kratos, Atreus, Lincoln, amd Clyde, and stood in front of Kratos. "I'm not weak." She said menacingly.

"If you can lift my Blades, then you are a Goddess in disguise. Try it." He said, grabbing a Blade from Lincoln's waist and dropped it in Lynn's waiting hands.

Her body dropped slightly, and she struggled with the heavy sword. "Okay, so it's a little heavy. No biggie."

"Hold it upright in one hand." Kratos commanded.

Lynn did so, and tired very quickly. She dropped the blade, and it crashed to the ground. Lincoln yanked it back to him and used it as a makeshift cane.

"So, what now?" Lincoln asked Kratos.

Kratos sat in deep thought for a few minutes.

"What's he doing? Is he broken?" Clyde whispered to Lincoln.

"Nah, lad, he's just thinking." Mimir said from one end of the counter. "Give him a minute."

"Do you wish to remove them?" Kratos voiced. "The Blades."

Now, it was Lincoln's turn to think. On one hand, the Blades gave him incredible power, and enhanced what power he already had. On the other, those Blades have been nothing but trouble for Lincoln, seeing as all the ruckus started for him ever since he got the damn things in the woods.

Lincoln nodded decisively. "I'll get them taken off, but only to stop the constant burns and itching." He said, scratching at a chain link.

Kratos nodded and grunted in approval. "There is a weapon... a magical axe that holds the screams of twenty Frost Trolls. It's Ice Magic is unparalleled in all of Midgard. It might be the one thing that can freeze the chains off your arms."

Lincoln rubbed his brand. "What's its name?"

"Leviathan." Atreus answered, grabbing a slice of bread and biting into it. "It was my mother's, before she gave it to Father when she died. We lost it in battle, and no matter what we tried, despite the Recall Runes, we couldn't find it, nor call it back. We need to find it to remove the Blades."

Lincoln gasped loudly. "I KNOW THAT AXE!" He shouted, making everyone in the room jump.

"Ugh, inside voice, lad." Mimir said, cringing.

"Yeah, buddy, that was uncalled for." Clyde said, clutching his ears.

"You know the axe?" Kratos interrogated, nearing Lincoln's eye level. "Where is it?!" He grabbed Lincoln's shoulders and shook him slightly.

"It's in Toledo, over in Ohio, down South. My..." He looked around, then whispered in Kratos' ear. "Girlfriend has it at her house."

"Then we shall set off to Toledo." Kratos rose to his feet. "What is your partner's name, boy?"

"Not here," Lincoln said hastily. "I'll tell you on the road."

Kratos nodded. "Very well." He nudged Atreus' arm. "Boy, gather your things. We are leaving with the child to retrieve my axe."

"Yes, Father." Atreus said, and walked out of the kitchen to get his stuff.

"You're leaving?" Clyde asked. "Now?"

"We have to, boy." Kratos said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Your friend wishes to remove the Blades effective immediately."

Kratos then faced Lincoln. "Boy. We have to go. Say goodbye to your friends amd family. We are leaving now."

Lincoln nodded. "Got it."

5 Minutes Later

"Lincoln!" Lola shouted, clinging to Lincoln's leg. "Don't go!"

"We need you!" Lana said, latched onto Lincoln's other leg. "We can't have you leave again!"

Lincoln used his strength to pry the twins from his legs. "Guys, I have to if I wanna be normal." He wrapped them into a soft hug. "I promise, once I get back, I'm not leaving."

Lola sniffled. "Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." Lincoln assured. "Now, I'll be taking my leave now. Ta léme!" He waved, and joined Kratos and Atreus at the door.

"Bye, guys!" Lincoln waved once again.

The Louds all waved, too choked up to say anything. Kratos shut the door, and gestured for Lincoln to take the lead.

Once they were out of earshot, Kratos asked, "Now that we are alone, boy, how did you come by your partner? And most importantly, my Axe?"


	13. 13

Lincoln walked down a foreign road unfamiliar to him. He knew he was somewhere in Ohio, thanks to a rando he asked. He took in the sights, which were similar to Royal Woods, actually.

But one thing was different.

A young girl, around Lincoln's age, walked down the sidewalk across the road, across from Lincoln, who was on the opposite sidewalk.

He stared at her as he took in her beauty. She was good-looking, but not enough to be screaming for attention. Her brown hair was tucked into a loose ponytail, which trailed down her shoulder.

Lincoln was transfixed on this one girl which caught his attention so easily. Earlier, he had decided to stay distant, as to not get too attached to anything. That way, he couldn't be persuaded to stay.

But this girl, nay, this... this goddess, managed to make him forget. He needed her. He just didn't know how to go about it.

"Act casual, Linc." Lincoln said to himself. "Ladies like it when you're yourself."

He then crossed the road at the nearest crosswalk. Then, he debated whether to stop stalking and sac up, or keep stalking and lose her.

He decided to grow a pair and increased his pace, so he was now a few feet behind the girl.

He felt the girl get nervous. He wanted to say he didn't mean any harm, but his voice wouldn't work. He could only imagine what his lovestruck face looked like.

The girl then sharply turned a corner, and Lincoln kept walking forward to throw off her caution. But what he didn't notice was a traffic light's pole right in front of him.

His face banged into the pole with a metallic clang noise. His head vibrated as he yelped in pain and grabbed his nose.

The girl turned around and rushed toward him, giggling the whole way.

Lincoln sighed. 'She has a nice laugh.' He thought.

She helped him up by pulling him to his feet.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? I am so sorry."

Lincoln waved his hand and started laughing himself. "No, no. I'm good. I'll be fine."

The girl held out her hand. "My name's Faith, but you can call me Fay."

Lincoln took her hand and shook it. "Lincoln." He said. "Nice to meet you, Faye."

Fay smacked his hand. "Not 'Faye', 'Fay'. No 'E'." She said sternly.

Lincoln flapped his hand around. "Okay. Got it, Fay."

'I'm still gonna call her Faye,' He thought to himself.

As Lincoln and Faye walked down the sidewalk, they talked about anything they could. Their families (Lincoln tried to avoid the subject), hobbies, preferences, you name it.

After a certain joke Lincoln told ("A Roman walks into a bar, holds up two fingers, and says, 'Five beers, please!'"), Faye had basically laughed her butt off, and was now sprawled on the concrete, wheezing.

Lincoln laid down next to her. By falling next to her. "You okay?" He asked.

Faye nodded, taking deep breaths. "Yeah." She finally said. "I'm alright."

"Good." Lincoln said, placing a hand near her. A message saying that he wanted to hold hands.

Faye got the message. "Nice try, lover boy." She said smugly, getting to her feet. "You're gonna have to try better than that."

"Oh, come on!" Lincoln groaned, getting up and walking after Faye.

"What do I have to do to prove myself?" He asked once he caught up.

"You have to get past my dad, for one." Faye answered. "And my brother. And Mom."

"So, basically, I have to get your family to like me, and I'm good." Lincoln said.

Faye nodded. "You can pass my dad right now, actually. This is my house." She pointed to a tan house with a burly man on the porch.

'Oh, crap.' Lincoln thought. 'That's her dad? Oh, I'm screwed now.'

"Boy. Enough of the story. We are at the halfway point. Be ready." Kratos said, jarring Lincoln from his story.

Lincoln blinked. "Ready for what?" He asked worriedly.

"Anything." Atreus said, checking his quiver to see if he had enough arrows. "Father likes constant vigilance, because it keeps you alive."

"I have not been wrong yet, boy. Do not forget." Kratos said to Atreus.

As they crossed the border from Michigan to Ohio, Lincoln sensed something off. Like something was there, when it shouldn't.

"Guys, something doesn't feel right." He said, grabbing Kratos and Atreus' attentions.

"What is it, kid?" Atreus asked.

Lincoln started hyperventilating. "I don't know." He said between breaths. "I've never had this happen to me."

Atreus suddenly sniffed the air. "Father, do you smell that?"

Kratos snoffed the air as well. "Yes, son. It smells of... rain."

Suddenly, the sky clouded over, and lightning streaked across the sky, and the wind reached unbearable speeds.

Lincoln's brand glowed to give him some light, as did the Blades. Kratos and Atreus were looking nervous.

Then, a large figure crashed a ways away from them, lightning crawling off his body. He wore a fur cloak, as to disguise his appearance.

"Boy!" Kratos shouted to Lincoln over the wind and thunder. "Run! Get my axe!"

"I can't leave you here!" Lincoln shouted back.

"Do as I say!" Kratos shot back.

Lincoln slowly turned away, and began to run in the opposite direction. He ran at least 50 feet when the cloaked man grabbed a large hammer from his belt, and hurled it at Lincoln.

The hammer nailed Lincoln in his leg, near his waist. The hammer pulled at his bones, muscles, and sinews, until the hammer went clean through, taking Lincoln's leg along the way.

Unbearable pain exploded in Lincoln's waist area. Lincoln let out a blood-curdling cry as he fell to the concrete, clutching where his leg was. Blood flowed dangerously from his stump onto the road.

The hammer then tugged itself out of the sidewalk and flew back to its owner's outstretched hand, landing in his palm with a small shockwave.

Then, Baldur came from behind the cloaked man and smacked him across the face.

"You idiot!" He yelled. "We needed him alive, you dolt!"

Cloak Man turned to Baldur. Lightning rumbled once again. "I did what I thought was reasonable, brother." He said, sheathing the hammer. He walked over to Lincoln, who had fallen unconscious from the pain.

He lifted Lincoln onto his shoulder. "We've got him, that's what matters. Let's go home." He then ceased the storm with a wave of his hammer. The storm clouds and lightning stopped abruptly.

Then, a yell of anger originated behind Cloak Man. He turned around.

Kratos, forearms wreathed in flames, struck Cloak Man in his jaw, snapping it. Cloak Man dropped Lincoln and clutched his mouth.

Kratos caught Lincoln in his arms. He set him down on the pavement as gently as he could. "Boy," he said desperately to Atreus. "Take Lincoln to Freya. Now!"

Atreus nodded as he took Lincoln in his arms, grabbed Lincoln's leg, and ran off, leaving Kratos with the Cloak Man. Kratos slowly turned to face him and Baldur.

"Thor." Kratos growled with malice and death in his voice.

"Farbauti." Thor replied in the same tone, shedding his hood, revealing bright blue eyes and a red, scraggly beard.


	14. 14

"Haven't you learned, Farbauti?" Thor asked. "Do not take on an Aesir unless you're confident."

"I do not need confidence to defeat you, oaf." Kratos replied.

"We shall see." Thor said, pulling Mjolnir from his belt, Megingjör'đ. Thor spun the hammer a bit, then backed up ten paces.

"We battle on three." Said Thor. "One..."

Kratos readied himself for a gruesome fight. He knew from Atreus that Thor needed his iron gloves, Járngreipr, to hold Mjolnir, on account of the handle being a little too short.

'Go for his hands.' Kratos thought as he unfolded the Guardian Shield and brought it to his chest.

"Two..." Thor crouched into a charge position. Kratos did the same.

"Three!" Thor yelled. With that, they ran full speed toward each other, screaming bloody murder. They leapt forth, electricity zipping off of Thor, and fire streaking off Kratos.

Lincoln gulped as he took in the sight of Faye's dad. He looked strong. He pulled his collar and wiped his brow.

"What are you waiting for, Lincoln?" Faye asked smugly. "Don't you wanna date me?"

"Well... yeah, but your dad looks like he could tear me apart with his bare hands." Lincoln acknowledged.

"Nah, don't worry about him. He looks like he could kill ya, but he's a sweetheart." Faye reassured, taking Lincoln's arm and leading him to the porch.

When they got to the door, Faye gestured to Lincoln. "Dad, this is Lincoln. Lincoln, this is my dad."

Lincoln waved awkwardly. "Hi." He said.

Faye's dad held out a hand. "John." He said.

Lincoln took his hand. They shook, and Lincoln could almost feel the scepticism John was experiencing right now.

"Come on in." John said, opening the door.

Atreus opened the door to Freya's house, underneath an aging Chaurli.

"Freya!" He shouted. "I need your help! Please!"

Freya answered his plea by entering swiftly from another room. Atreus saw that Faye hadn't changed a bit since they first met.

"Atreus? Oh, my Gods, what happened to him? Never mind that, get him on the table, he's losing blood." Freya said, urging Atreus to the same table Atreus laid on in his youth before he found out his true heritage.

Atreus laid Lincoln on the table, where Freya poured some things into a wooden bowl, grabbed the glowing contents, and rubbed it onto Lincoln's stump.

Upon contact, Lincoln bucked on the table and groaned loudly.

"Hold him down." Freya said. Atreus summoned ropes from the mists of Ginnungagap, and bound Lincoln to the table, knotting the ends and tugging them to make sure the bonds were secure.

Lincoln struggled against the magic soup's touch, as it was hurting him.

"I can't reattach his leg, but what I can do is give him a sturdy replacement.

"What can you make it from?" Atreus asked.

"You need to travel to the tallest mountain in Midgard, and grab at least one splinter from Mimir's tree." Freya explained.

"Isn't it indestructible?" Atreus countered.

"If you can find a loose splinter, or cut some wood off Mimir's body, that'd be great right now." Freya insisted.

Atreus nodded. "Okay. Got it." He left the house, and traveled through a shortcut to Yggdrasil.

Freya rubbed the salve on Lincoln's stub once more. It needed the salve, or else the spell wouldn't work properly, if not at all.

She then raised her head to Lincoln's, and pecked his forehead. "Don't worry, child. You will survive. That's a mother's promise."

Thor swung Mjolnir at Kratos, the latter dodging and smacking the former with the Guardian Shield. Spittle flew from Thor's mouth as he fell back. Thor regained his balance, and threw Mjolnir to Kratos' midsection.

Kratos deflected Mjolnir with the Shield, then charged Thor. Thor punched Kratos in his shoulder, dislocating the socket.

Kratos didn't back down. He charged the remaining distance and jumped onto Thor's back, and put him in a choke hold. Thor struggled against Kratos' hold, even bashing his face by ramming the back of his head into Kratos' nose. Kratos held with Spartan Rage powering him beyond his limits.

Thor reached up to distract Kratos by messing with his face (maybe try to gouge out his eyes), and Kratos seized his chance.

He gripped Thor's wrist, and wrestled with the left half of Járngreipr. Kratos smashed a flaming Shield onto Thor's face, making Thor lose focus, letting Kratos rip the glove from his hand. Kratos smashed his other fist into Thor's chest, dropping the Aesir to the ground, clutching where his lungs were.

Kratos rolled off of Thor and held out his hand. Instead of Leviathan flying to his hand, Mjolnir flew through the air, landing in Kratos' open palm.

Kratos wrapped his fingers around the short handle, and felt electricity course through his body, and across his body as well.

Thor staggered to his feet. "Well, Farbauti, you've bested me." He said, pulling out a large knife behind his back. "Good job. Odin would be proud of you."

"Do not play games, Aesir. I know you intend to kill me." Kratos said bluntly.

"What? Me? Try to kill you? The Godslayer?" Thor laughed a little. "No. No, of course not. I just want to congratulate you."

Kratos pointed Mjolnir at Thor threateningly. "Do not take another step, Aesir."

Thor glanced around. "Say, have you seen Baldur anywhere? He seemed to have left. Said somethin' about... going after the boy and your son." Thor said, scratching his beard.

Kratos' eyes widened in fear. He then furrowed his eyes in anger. He threw Mjolnir at Thor's midsection, bashing the strong Aesir to the ground.

Kratos shook off the glove and looked to Thor. "This fight is not over, oaf. We will finish this."

And Kratos bounded away to find Atreus and Lincoln.

"Nice place you got here." Lincoln said hesitantly.

"Thanks, Lincoln. Took us a while to find a good place." John said.

Faye put a hand on Lincoln's arm. "What's wrong, Linc?" She asked.

"Scared." Lincoln uttered. "Very scared."

"Don't worry. You're in a safe place." She reassured."

They came into a room Lincoln assumed was the kitchen, and saw a woman sitting at the counter.

'Might be Faye's mom.' Lincoln thought.

He was right. "Honey, Fay's got a new friend." John announced.

The woman raised a brow and smiled. "Oh, really?" She asked. "Well, in that case, I'm Angie, Fay's mother." She held her hand out to shake.

Lincoln obliged with a nervous grin on his face. 'Geez, I hope I'm good enough for them.' He thought.

Atreus stepped out of a World Tree gate into Brok's workshop.

"Hey, squirt!" Brok shouted. "Whatcha been up to, huh?"

"No time, Brok!" Atreus said, running past Brok, and opened the door to the bridge leading to the Mountain. "I gotta help a friend of mine, and fast!"

"Oh." Brok said. "Well, good luck! Come by if ya have the time!"

Atreus ran down the bridge, catching Brok saying, "Wake up, Sindri! I need your assistance!" Before the door shut behind him.

Atreus ran up the Mountain, past the area where he and Kratos dispersed the Black Breath, ran into the Mountain, rode an elevator while pacing like a madman, and finally climbed the rest of the way to the top of the Mountain.

He approached the body of Mimir, and took out a knife. He poked the tip in, and dug in until at least an inch was in Mimir's body. He then turned the knife horizontally, and slid the blade downwards, taking a good chunk of flesh from the body, as well as some wood from the Tree.

Atreus cleaned the wood, removing any excess flesh from the wood, and sheathed his knife.

He went to the edge of the mountain, and cupped his hands over his mouth. He took a deep breath, and ululated loudly, the noise echoing across Midgard.

A resounding boom echoed across the valley as a gray shape zoomed up to the Mountain. It ran up and up the Mountain, and skid to a stop in front of Atreus.

It was a large horse, but it wasn't no ordinary horse. It had 8 legs, instead of the usual 4. It could also run at insane speeds, usually used to travel quickly to Helheim.

Atreus scratched its mane. "Hey, Sleipnir. How's my favorite horse?" He said.

Slepinir nuzzled against Atreus' hand. Then, he went for a satchel on Atreus' waist.

"Hey!" Atreus scolded. "No treats right now! You can have it later!"

Sleipnir begrudgingly stopped. He looked sad.

"Okay, we need to get to Auntie Freya. You can get me there quickly, right?" Atreus asked Sleipnir.

Sleipnir nodded, then knelt down so Atreus could jump on his back.

Atreus digged his heels into Sleipnir's sides and pat his neck. "Giddyap!" He shouted.

Sleipnir whinnied loudly, rose up on his hind legs, and sped off to the Woods.

Atreus plugged his nose and popped his ears just as Sleipnir went to insane speeds. They zoomed through the Woods, jumping over logs, roots, and trampling leaves on the way.

Sleipnir came to a stop in front of Chaurli. Atreus jumped off Slepnir and took put a large apple from his satchel. He tossed it to Sleipnir, who caught the apple in his mouth and chewed on it.

"Good boy!" Atreus said, running to Chaurli.

"Heimili!" He said, and waved his hand at Chaurli. The house under Chaurli rumbled upward until the front door emerged from the earth. Atreus threw open the door, saying, "Freya! I have it!"

Freya turned. "Good! Let me see it."

Atreus tossed the wood to Freya, who dipped her fingers into the salve again, and rubbed it against Lincoln's stump.

This time, Lincoln reared upward, screaming, fire trailing his body. The ropes caught ablaze.

"Quickly!" Freya shouted. "Restrain him!"

"How?!" Atreus exclaimed.

"Hold him!" Freya demanded.

Atreus grasped Lincoln's arm and stump, and forced him back down on the table. Lincoln struggled heavily as Freya swiftly approached.

She held the wood in her hand, knelt down to Lincoln's stump, and jabbed a sharp end of the wood into Lincoln's broken femur.

Fire exploded from Lincoln's body, blowing Atreus and Freya to different parts of the room. The ropes disintegrated into ash, and the wood sprouted from his stump, twisting and growing to an acceptable length. The wood shaped the rest of Lincoln's thigh, a knee, shin and calf, and a foot.

The wood slintered into five sections at the end, shaping into toes. A thin an intermittent layer of moss finished off the new leg, coating parts of the thigh, foot, and toes, plus a few square inches on the calf.

Lincoln flipped onto the floor and drew the Blades from his waist, and swung them dangerously.

"What happened?" He asked. "Where the hell am I?" He demanded.


End file.
